Mount Mansfield, Vermont, from My Hotel Bedroom (Dec. 2017)

Friday, December 20, 2013

My Adirondack Life calendar has informed me that this year the days December 20-December 23 have approximately the same amount (lack) of daylight: just 8 hours and 51 minutes. Winter Solstice! If only I had the energy, I'd do a dance, drink some mead (champagne), and perform a few graceful leaps in front of the fireplace. Given that I gave my last exam yesterday and the week past has been hellish [why oh why am I totally exhausted?], I took a nap today, am cooking Coq au Vin at the moment while enjoying a glass or two of a California red wine blend.

I'm also reflecting on a wonderful new (!!) gothic novel. I am inhaling A Final Reckoning by Susan Moody, which is set in a very old "country mansion" in the Cotswolds. It's only by chance that I came upon it at the library, so it feels like it's heaven sent. If you like a good gothic change of pace every now and then, do look this one up. Some commenters on Goodreads were a bit negative, I'm surprised to find, although Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly all gave positive reviews.

Absolutely gothic! I love it so much, and now I'm so sorry I'm drawing near the end. As I mentioned to Kelly, I want to read more of Susan Moody. Do indeed get a hold of it if you're a gothic lover. Great crime stuff, too.Judith

About Me

I live in a beautiful mountainous wilderness region of northern New York. This environment perfectly suits all my outdoor interests: bushwhacking, hiking, alpine and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and the study of nature.
Since moving to the Adirondacks in 2005 from the Boston area, I still find plenty of time for reading, but far less time for writing and painting, though I still enjoy these activities.
Although I am a former educator, I am now a professional genealogist, specializing in New York and New England ancestries, from the 1600s through the twentieth century.